OUR VIEW: Money may not be there for state raises

Published: Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 7:01 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 7:02 p.m.

Teachers and state employees in Alabama haven’t had an across-the-board pay increase in five years. They may be disappointed again.

Gov. Robert Bentley in an Associated Press report last weekend said, while his staff is “studying” the issue, he doesn’t see any way, given the tenuous situation of Alabama’s General Fund budget, to give state employees a raise.

And even though the Education Trust Fund budget is in better shape, leading him and top legislators to openly discuss raises for education employees, Bentley wouldn’t make that commitment, either.

These public sector employees insist they are going backward, not standing still, because of higher benefit costs and the increased cost of living. Education employees in particular complain about perpetually having to do more with less, since so many teachers have retired and not been replaced, or laid off.

We can hear the unsympathetic shrieks of “welcome to the real world” from those in the private sector who also haven’t had raises in five years or even longer, for whom doing more with less is a daily reality.

That’s probably why those seeking the raises are being low key and not confrontational.

Mac McArthur, head of the Alabama State Employees Association, spoke of a “real good” meeting with a “sympathetic” Bentley. State Schools Superintendent Tommy Bice said he will push quietly for a raise for education employees. AEA Executive Secretary Henry Mabry still wants a 10 percent raise for those employees, but parceled out over three years rather than the association’s original goal of two years.

Will it get them what they want? Not if the cash isn’t there.

Bentley and legislators may be sympathetic to the plight of state employees and teachers, and agree they deserve raises, but they can’t print money. They have state services to fund and debts to pay — a required $437 million to the Education Trust Fund’s “rainy day account” and a promised first installment on money borrowed last year from the Alabama Trust Fund to prop up the General Fund.

We’ve said if the economy picks up, the cash is available and the state’s budgets won’t implode, we’d have no problem with a raise for state employees and teachers, even if it’s a pittance (again, 1 percent is better than 0 percent). Alabama, only a few months removed from its latest trust fund raid, just may not be at that point in 2013.

<p>Teachers and state employees in Alabama haven't had an across-the-board pay increase in five years. They may be disappointed again.</p><p>Gov. Robert Bentley in an Associated Press report last weekend said, while his staff is “studying” the issue, he doesn't see any way, given the tenuous situation of Alabama's General Fund budget, to give state employees a raise.</p><p>And even though the Education Trust Fund budget is in better shape, leading him and top legislators to openly discuss raises for education employees, Bentley wouldn't make that commitment, either.</p><p>These public sector employees insist they are going backward, not standing still, because of higher benefit costs and the increased cost of living. Education employees in particular complain about perpetually having to do more with less, since so many teachers have retired and not been replaced, or laid off.</p><p>We can hear the unsympathetic shrieks of “welcome to the real world” from those in the private sector who also haven't had raises in five years or even longer, for whom doing more with less is a daily reality.</p><p>That's probably why those seeking the raises are being low key and not confrontational.</p><p>Mac McArthur, head of the Alabama State Employees Association, spoke of a “real good” meeting with a “sympathetic” Bentley. State Schools Superintendent Tommy Bice said he will push quietly for a raise for education employees. AEA Executive Secretary Henry Mabry still wants a 10 percent raise for those employees, but parceled out over three years rather than the association's original goal of two years.</p><p>Will it get them what they want? Not if the cash isn't there.</p><p>Bentley and legislators may be sympathetic to the plight of state employees and teachers, and agree they deserve raises, but they can't print money. They have state services to fund and debts to pay — a required $437 million to the Education Trust Fund's “rainy day account” and a promised first installment on money borrowed last year from the Alabama Trust Fund to prop up the General Fund.</p><p>We've said if the economy picks up, the cash is available and the state's budgets won't implode, we'd have no problem with a raise for state employees and teachers, even if it's a pittance (again, 1 percent is better than 0 percent). Alabama, only a few months removed from its latest trust fund raid, just may not be at that point in 2013.</p>